The “Necessary Roughness Podcast” airs weekly on lastwordradio.podbean.com, and other LastWordRadio outlets.
|| Current Season (2025-26)|| 2024-25|| 2023-24|| 2022-23 ||
|| 2021-22 || 2020-21 || 2019-2020 || 2018-19 || 2017-18 ||
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 163): Super Bowl LVII Recap! Plus, Nik’s Take on Refs “Deciding” Big Games
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic breaks down Super Bowl LVII and reflects on the season as a whole. He also touches on this offseason’s upcoming rendition of the QB carousel, breaks down Eric Bieniemy’s bold decision to leave Kansas City for Washington D.C., and dives into why he hopes the XFL does well (even if he won’t be watching it). Enjoy the show and join us the weekend of March 18th for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 162): Super Bowl LVII Preview! Plus, Why the Discussion Surrounding Damar Hamlin’s NFL Return is a Complicated One
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into Super Bowl LVII. He also touches on whether the Giants or Seahawks should franchise tag their QBs, dives into Christian McCaffrey’s remarks about the 49ers loss, and discusses how Russell Wilson’s perception took another hit this week. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 161): Nik’s Picks for the NFL’s Seasonal Awards! Plus, It’s Time for the (seemingly) Annual Pro Bowl Rant
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic recaps last week’s NFL Championship weekend and gives his picks for the NFL’s end-of-year awards. He also gives his take on the Broncos failed courtship of DeMeco Ryans, touches on some players who were snubbed from even being AP award finalists, and discusses the incomparable career of Tom Brady. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 160): NFL Championship Weekend Preview! Plus, Why the Bills Season was a Failure
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL Championship weekend matchups. He also discusses the rest of the NFL Divisional Weekend matchups, touches on Jim Harbaugh’s meeting with the Broncos, and dives into why the Colorado Rockies Owner shouldn’t be getting mocked for being a realist. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 159): NFL Divisional Weekend Preview! Plus, Nik Wonders Why Bengals-Bills is NOT a Neutral-Site Game
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL Divisional weekend matchups. He also gives his thoughts on the Lamar Jackson drama in Baltimore, touches on how Kirk Cousins’ final pass against the Giants perfectly encapsulates his career, and can’t help but pat himself on the back after a perfect weekend of picks. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 158): NFL Super Wild Card Weekend Preview! Plus, Why Sammy Watkins’ Comments on Lamar Jackson are Concerning
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL Super Wild Card weekend matchups. He also touches on 2023’s rendition of “Black Monday,” wonders if the Mike Williams injury is a fireable offense, and gives his predictions for the rest of this year’s NFL Playoffs. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 157): NFL Week 18 Preview! Plus, Nik’s Take on Possible Neutral-Site NFL Playoff Football
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 18 matchups. He also touches on the Vikings giving the Packers a backdoor into the postseason, discusses the Commanders benching Carson Wentz (again), and dives into the weird comments made by Jadeveon Clowney about the Browns. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 156): NFL Week 17 Preview! Plus, Why Nik Thinks Ron Rivera is on the Hot Seat in Washington
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 17 matchups. He also calls shenanigans on (some) “advanced” statistics like win-probability, weighs in on why the Raiders benching of Derek Carr could get complicated, and touches on the very forgettable tenure of Nathaniel Hackett as the Denver Broncos Head Coach. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 155): NFL Week 16 Preview! Plus, Nik’s Take on the Historic Ending of Raiders vs. Patriots
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 16 matchups. He also touches on last Saturday’s wild tripleheader, debates Dan Campbell vs. Doug Pederson for Coach of the Year, and discusses the possible 2023-24 landing spots for Tom Brady (other than retirement). Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 154): NFL Week 15 Preview! Plus, How the Kyler Murray Injury Threw the Cardinals Into a Very Peculiar Situation
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 15 matchups. He also debates if the Lions win over Minnesota will be a sign of what’s to come, touches on another signature moment for Trevor Lawrence in his (2nd) rookie season, and discusses the possibility of the NFL adding replay review for certain penalties. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 153): NFL Week 14 Preview! Plus, Why the Ravens and 49ers May Both Survive Their QB’s Injuries
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 14 matchups. He also wonders if the Bengals are just straight up better than the Chiefs, discusses why the Jets loss to the Vikings left him kind of impressed, and touches on the never-ending courtship of free agent WR Odell Beckham Jr. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 152): NFL Week 13 Preview! Plus, Why Starting the Packers Continuing to Start an Injured Aaron Rodgers Accomplishes Nothing
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 13 matchups. He also wonders what went wrong for the Raiders this season, touches on the significance of Trevor Lawrence’s game-winning drive against the Ravens, and dives into the weird week that was for the Arizona Cardinals. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 151): NFL Week 12 Preview! Plus, Why the Texans Decision to Bench Davis Mills is Perplexing
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 12 matchups. He also dives into the rumored Sean Payton sweepstakes, touches on the collapsing Giants and Jets, and gives his take on if the NFL would ever switch to a draft lottery system. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 150): NFL Week 11 Preview! Plus, Nik Wonders if Chargers HC Brandon Staley May be on the Hot Seat
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 11 matchups. He also takes a victory lap for picking the Colts to beat the Raiders, admits his preseason projection for the Titans was dead wrong, and takes a moment to celebrate the show making it to the 150 episode milestone. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 149): NFL Week 10 Preview and Midseason Recap! Plus, Why Brady’s Bucs Are Reminiscent of Manning’s “Last Ride” Broncos
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 10 matchups and gives out his midseason awards. He also touches on the Colts hiring of Jeff Saturday, wonders if Travis Etienne will become the NFL’s version of Ben Simmons, and breaks down the one of the most crowded races for Coach of the Year in recent memory. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 148): NFL Week 9 Preview! Plus, the Winners and Losers of the NFL’s Wild Trade Deadline
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 9 matchups. He also discusses the Green Bay Packers bold approach to the wide receiver position, gives kudos to the first-place Vikings, and tries to figure out how Brandin Cooks went from signing an extension to wanting out of Houston, in under a calendar year. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 147): NFL Week 8 Preview! Plus, Why the Timing of Matt Ryan’s Benching was Odd
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 8 matchups. He also talks about how the Packers offensive struggles aren’t overly shocking, dives into the Patriots QB nontroversy, and wonders if the Giants and Jets can somehow keep up their hot streaks. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 146): NFL Week 7 Preview! Plus, a Closer Look at the Giants and Jets Chances of Actually Contending
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 7 matchups. He also discusses the Buccaneers and Packers less than stellar start to the season, wonders if the Rams can bounce back and attempt to repeat, and is befuddled by second-year WR Elijah Moore’s trade request. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 145): NFL Week 6 Preview! Plus, the Weird Week that was for Ron Rivera and the Washington Commanders
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 6 matchups. He also touches on Matt Rhule’s forgettable tenure in Carolina, weighs in on the NFL’s safety protocols, and can’t help but rant about Aaron Boone and the Yankees. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 144): NFL Week 5 Preview! Plus, Nik’s Take on Why Newly-Retired Blake Bortles was NOT a Bust
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 5 matchups. He also touches on Tom Brady’s comments on the NFL’s parity, wonders what’s going on with Justin Fields and the Bears offense, and can’t help but weigh in on the random LeSean McCoy-RGIII Twitter beef. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 143): NFL Week 4 Preview! Plus, Nik’s Take on the Dolphins Handling (or Mishandling) of Tua Tagovailoa’s Injury
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 4 matchups. He also gives his take on why the Bills loss to Miami isn’t cause for concern, wonders when this Raiders team will finally eke out a win, and can’t help but take a victory lap after the NFL’s decision to officially axe the Pro Bowl game. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 142): NFL Week 3 Preview! Plus, Nik’s Take on Tyrod Taylor Suing the Chargers Team Doctor
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 3 matchups. He also discusses the Ravens epic collapse against the Dolphins, touches on the Bills dominant first two weeks, and tries to avoid baiting himself into believing in the New York Giants. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 141): NFL Week 2 Preview! Plus, Why the Dak Prescott Injury May Prove Disastrous For the Cowboys
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 2 matchups. He also touches on the Giants and Seahawks upset wins, can’t help but give his take on Jets Head Coach Robert Saleh’s “keeping receipts” comment, and tries to calm the fanbases of contenders who had lackluster Week 1 showings. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 140): NFL Week 1 Preview! Plus, Nik Wonders if Lamar Jackson is Poised For An Aaron-Judge-like Season in His Contract Year
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 1 matchups. He also tries to explain away why he picked the Rams-Bills game incorrectly, touches on the recently uncovered “drama” surrounding Russell Wilson’s departure from Seattle, and gives Emmanuel Sanders his props on a solid NFL career. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 139): 2022 NFL Kickoff Special and Season Preview! Plus, Nik Gives Out His Preseason Awards Picks
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic breaks down the upcoming NFL kickoff matchup between the Rams and Bills, as well as gives his preseason pick to win the Super Bowl. He also discusses the 49ers odd decision to keep Jimmy Garoppolo, touches on why the Russell Wilson extension has its immediate pros and cons, and can’t help but put (at least) one foot on the Eagles bandwagon. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 138): 2022-2023 NFC Preview! Plus, Why the Carolina Panthers are a Sleeper Contender
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into his NFC Predictions for the upcoming year. He also gives his take on why tanking was likely the right move for the Seahawks, wrestles with the idea of picking the Eagles over the Cowboys, and discusses the conundrum of when a bad team should start its rookie QB. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 137): 2022-2023 AFC Preview! Plus, Nik Struggles to Pick the Winner of the Stacked AFC West
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into his AFC Predictions for the upcoming year. He also discusses the show’s long offseason hiatus, considers the value of a team’s winning pedigree, and gives his final take (hopefully) on the conclusion of the Deshaun Watson saga. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 136): NFL Draft Discussion! Plus, Nik Rips Two Absolutely Awful NFL Draft-Related Takes
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic touches on the NFL Draft and breaks down the past month of NFL action. He also dives into the Deebo Samuel rumor mill, discusses how the Cleveland Browns painted themselves into a corner with the Baker Mayfield trade talks, and wonders about the Raiders declining Josh Jacobs’ fifth-year option. Enjoy the show and join us on the weekend of June 25th for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 135): NFL Free Agency Discussion! Plus, Nik Wonders Why Matt Ryan is Stuck in Atlanta
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic breaks down the NFL’s free agent frenzy so far. He also does a deep dive into the QB market, gives out his early offseason winners and losers, and wonders why college football hasn’t tried to make their own version of “March Madness” yet. Enjoy the show and join us on April 30th for the following episode!
Nik Donadic 